This award is sponsored by Dr. Narendra Dadlani, Former Director, National Seed Association of India, New Delhi & Dr Malavika Dadlani, Ex-Joint Director, ICAR-IARI, New Delhi in the memory of his late father Sh. S.A. Dadlani and started in 2022.
Sh. S.A. Dadlani was a dedicated scientist, who served the ICAR from 1948 to 1980. He started his career in the then Division of Botany, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi. Working at the headquarters as well as Regional Stations at Karnal, Pusa and Shimla, he was associated with Dr. B.P. Pal in the development of rust resistant 700 series wheat lines and contributed in evaluation, maintenance, multiplication and distribution of improved lines of wheat as well as other crops. As the Officer-in-Charge, he established the first Temperate Zone Research Centre of the Division of Plant Introduction at Phagli, Shimla, which played a crucial role for introduction of temperate fruits, nuts, vegetables, medicinal plants as well as other crops.
He was trained at N.I. Vavilov Institute of Plant Industry, U.S.S.R. for six months in plant exchange system including Plant Quarantine. From 1968 to 1980, working closely with Sr. Harbhajan Singh, he contributed in planning and preparations for the establishment of National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (NBPGR) and was responsible for International germplasm exchange, first in the Division of Plant Introduction, IARI and then at newly established NBPGR. As a faculty member of the PG School, IARI, he taught several courses in Economic Botany. He was actively associated with the National Seed Conservation Programme and instrumental in preparing collaborative programmes with Canada, W. Germany and United Kingdom. He has several publications highlighting the promise of new plant introductions and germplasm exchange, besides publishing the quarterly Plant Introduction Reporter.